Interlocking-switch-operating mechanism



o Model.) s Sheets-Sheet 1. P. P. ABEROROMBIE. INTERLOGKING SWITCH OPERATING MEGEANISM.

No. 411,880 Patented Oct: 1. 1889.

(No Model.) v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. F. P. ABERCROMBIE.

INTERLOUKING SWITGH OPERATING MECHANISM.

No. 411.880. Patented 0st. 1, 1889.

1 Wyn $02? 1 dzilorav N PETERS. Pmmumo n hor. walhingtun. C.

(No mudel.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. I. P'. ABEROROMBIE.

INTBRLOCKING SWITGH OPERATING MECHANISM. No. 411,880. Patented 00t. 1, 1889.

vim 2882's 8 lwzwzoza' V j zlorney u PEYERS. Phnwlimagngh n waning. In;

UNITED STATES FATENT Qrricn.

FRANK PATTERSON ABERGROMBIE, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

lNTERLOCKING-SWlTCH-OPERATING MECHANESM.

SPEGiFIC'ATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 411,880, dated October 1, 1889.

Application filedJzmuary 9, 1889. Serial No. 295,863. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, FRANK PATTERSON ABEROROMBIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sunbury, in the county of North umberlaud and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Switch Operating Mechanisms; and I do herebydcclarc the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appcrtains to make and use the same.

My invention consists in the hereinafter-tobe-described mechanism for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions from one motion of a lever or equivalent prime moving piece.

In the drawings, Figure 1 shows myinvention as applied in its simplest form to a railroad-switch. Fig. 2 shows a detail of the construction in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional View of the construction shown in Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are details, and Fig. 6 is a crosssection, of a modification. Fig. '7 is a side view, and Fig. 8 a plan view, of said modification. Fig. 9 is a plan view of another modification of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

In operating interlocking switches and similar mechanisms it is frequently desirable to produce two or more independent and con secutlve motions by one throw of the lever or other operating or prime moving device. Thus the switch is to be thrown before the signal is moved. One motion must be made to throw the switch, and a separate subsequentmotion made to lock it. One switch must be thrown before another is opened, and so onthrough a variety of combinations.

It 1s the objectof my invention to enable any or all of these successive motions to be produced by the operator, whether present or at a distance, by one motion of his lever.

In the drawings, A represents a conventional signal or tell-tale device mounted in a frame A and turned by the sliding piece 3 through the agency of the crank 1 and connectingdink 2.

T and S are the movable rails of the switch, and T and S are the permanent rails. The

movable rails T and S are sh iftcd by the rod 4. The rod 3 has a set of two upright pins M, while the rod 4 has a corresponding set N.

The rod 3 has a separate and taller pin 0, and the rod 4 a corresponding pin V. (Shown in Fig. 1'), but hidden by the part G in Fig. 1.)

In cases where it may be desirable to adopt the arrangement shown in Fig. 9 the spindle of the signal A would he stepped in the socket A" at the other end of the string-piece Q, Fig. 1, and the signal would be operated by a similar crank 1 and a connecting-rod 2, attached to the other end of the rod 3. This arrangement would put the operating mechanism between the signal or tell-tale device and the track.

The parts G G, connected by the parts B and O, which are so cutaway as to form guideways, each of which guideways has two straight portions B B and C O", respect-- ively, parallel but not in line with one another and connected by a curved or inclined portion 13' or O', constitute the supporting and guiding piece for the sliding and twisting piece D. The part D has a swiveled c011- tinuation F connected to it by the joint shown in section in Fig. 2, in which the removable portion F is held in place by the screw F", as shown.

The guideways l3 and C have certain portions of their length inclined to the axis of mot-ion of the siiding and twisting piece D, while other portions are parallel to said axis, as shown. The pin or equivalent projections P on the sliding and twisting piece D run upon the guideways B and O, and are raised and lowered to drop between the pins M or N, or equivalent recesses or projections on the sliding pieces 3 and 4:, at predetermined points in the travel of the piece D.

H is a pin set in the supporting-block Q, and limits the outward motion of the sliding piece 3. A similar pin might be employed to limit .the outward motion of the sliding piece 4;

but neither of these two pins is absolutely necessary, as the motion of the piece 4 is limited by the movement of the switch-rails T and S, and the movement of the sliding piece 3 could be similarly limited by stops, which would control the angular movement of the crank l.

The object of the pins 0 and V is to prevent any backward movement of the sliding pieces 3 and i. Thus after the piece D has been slid away from the track a certain distance it will have been twisted by the guideway'B, so as to raise the pin P from between the pins M, and thereafter sliding piece 3 will cease to move with the piece D. If nothing were done to prevent displacement of the piece 3, it might be drawn back and the signal turned around by the wind or any other agency; but when the pin or projection P left the pins M and allowed the part 3 to remain at rest the pin 0 had been moved up abreast of the end piece G. Consequently when the'piece D reaches the limit of its motion the projection P will bring up against the end piece G and the tall pin 0 and prevent any backward motion of the sliding piece 3. The sliding piece 4 is locked by a similar action of the pin V. (Shown in Fig.9.)

Motion is transmitted to the piece D through the rod V, the bell-crank lever L, and the swiveled extension F, which is connected to the piece D, as shown in Fig. 2, or in some equivalent manner. The rod 1V leads to the interlocking -station where the operator is placed. It is evident, of course, that any equivalent operating mechanism. for moving the piece D might be substituted for the one described without departing from the principle of my invention.

Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 show a modification of my device, in which the parts G G are combi'ned in one part G, surrounding the sliding and twisting piece D, and having certain irregular slots-sueh as and 16, Fig. 7- which replace the open guideways B and 0, Fig. 1. The principle of operation is, however, identical.

The sliding pieces 3 and-4 (shown in Fig. 1)

are replaced by similar sliding pieces 13 and 14, Figs. 4, 5, and 6, which move in dovetailed grooves in the supporting-block Q, as shown in Fig. 6. The sliding and twisting piece D is there shown as a simple ferrule or sleeve on the reciprocating piece D, which slides back and forth without any axial twisting motion.

The piece D, Figs. 8 and 9, is of course cut away, so that when the piece D is in placeits outer surface shall be flush with that of the adjoining portions of piece D. This piece D may be made in two parts joined together in any of the usual ways; or it may be made in one piece parted at D, as shown, and snapped into place. It has, as before, the projections P.

As shown in Fig. 6, the rod D is cut away in order to allow the pin P to pass through it and have the desired oscillation.

As shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the sliding piece 13 is given an intermittent motion. in order to operate the locking-bar 18. The slidin g piece 14, which operates the switch, has certain projecting pins 22 and 21, or their equivalent recesses, into which pins 19 and 20 on the locking-bar 18 mesh at the proper time. The locking-bar 1S slides in the guides and 26,

and is operated by the sliding piece 13 through the agency of the bell-crank 17.

It is evident, of course, that any suitable and equivalent lockingdevice might be substituted for the bar 18 without departing from the spirit of my invention.

As shown in Fig. 7, the slot has three portions 15, 23, and 24, which form guideways parallel to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece D, and which are connected by inclined portions of the said slot. The slot 16 is the reverse of the slot 15. The sliding piece 13, Fig. 4, has the slot R, with the pockets 11 and 12, and the sliding piece 14, Fig. 5, has the slot R and the pocket 10.

The operation of this device is as follows: The apparatus being in the condition shown in Fig. 8, the switch controlled by the sliding piece 14 is locked in one position by virtue of the pin 19 meshing with the projecting pins 21. A movement of the piece D causes the pin or projection P to run along the portion 24 of the slot, and, striking against a rigid portion of the sliding piece 13, which'forms one side of the pocket 11, Fig. 4, 'it'moves the said piece 13, bell-crank 17, and the locking-bar 18 far enough to unlock the'sliding piece 14. Further motion of the sliding and twisting piece D causes the projection P to run up the inclined portion of the slot or guideway 15 and down the corresponding portion of the slot or guideway 16. This raises one end of projection P fromthe pocket 11 and drops the other end of the said piece into the pocket 10, thus leaving the sliding piece 13 motionless, but moving the sliding piece 14, and thereby throwing the switch. By the time the projection P has moved along the portion 23 of the guideway and thrown the switch in the manner above described it strikes the second in piece 13, thus drawing the pin 20 of the locking-bar 18 into engagement with the pins 22 of the sliding piece 14, and thereby loeking the switch in its other position.

In Fig. 9 a slight modification of the construction of Fig. 1 is shown, inasmuclras the apparatus is designed to be placed between the signal and the switch, and consequently the sliding pieces 3 and 4 run in opposite directions, as indicated. Moreover the sliding and twisting piece D is here reduced to a sleeve mounted on the reciprocating piece D, as is shown in Fig. 6.

\Vhile I have shown my invention as applied to the operation of switches and signals, I do not desire to be limited to such narrow use of the invention,as there'are evidently many other similar purposes to which an apparatus of this construction could be applied without other changes than those of mechanical details.

A continuation of the sliding piece 13, Fig. 8, may operate the signal or tell-tale device in the manner before described without interfering with the operation of the locking device therein illustrated.

Ilaving therefore described my invent-ion, what I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. I11 an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of the sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has inclined guideways, and two or more sliding pieces, against certain parts of which projections on the sliding and twisting piece strike, together with suitable mechanism for imparting motion to the sliding and twisting piece, sub stantially as described.

2. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of a sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has inclined guideways, and two or more sliding pieces which have certain parts with which projections from the sliding and twisting piece e11- gage at predetermined points in the travel of the said sliding and twisting piece, together with a reciprocating lever connected to the sliding and twisting piece by a swivel-joint and suitable connective mechanism, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of a sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has guideways upon which certain projections from the sliding and twisting piece move, said guideways being inclined to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece for certain portions of their length, while other portions are parallel to said axis, two or more sliding pieces which move parallel to the axis of mo tion of the sliding and twisting piece, and which have certain rigid parts with which projections from the sliding and twisting piece engage at predetermined points in its travel, together with mechanism for imparting motion to the said sliding and twisting piece, substantially as described.

i. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of a sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has guideways upon which certain proj ections from the sliding and twisting piece move, said guideways being inclined to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece for certain portions of their length, while other portions are parallel to said axis, two or more sliding pieces which move parallel to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece, and which have certain rigid parts with which projections from the sliding and twisting piece engage and disengage at various predetermined points in its travel, together with a reciprocating lever connected to the sliding and twisting piece by a swivel-joint and suit-- able connective mechanism, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of the sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has inclined guideways, and two or more sliding pieces against certain rigid parts of which projections on the sliding and twisting piece strike, together with suitable mechanism forimparting motion to the sliding and twisting piece, and a lock operated by one of the said sliding pieces to lock and unlock the other sliding piece, substantially as described.

(3. I11 an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of a sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has guideways upon which certain projections upon the sliding and twisting piece move, said guideways being inclined to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece for certain portions of their lengtlnwhile other portions are parallel to said axis, two or more sliding pieces which move parallel to the axis of motion of the sliding and twisting piece, and which have certain rigid parts with which projections from the sliding and twisting piece engage at predetermined points in its travel, and a lock operated by one of the said sliding pieces to lock and unlock the other in its various positions of rest, together with mechanism for imparting motion to the said sliding and twisting piece, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of the sliding and twisting piece, a supporting-piece which has inclined guideways, and two or more sliding pieces against certain rigid parts of which projections on the sliding and twisting piece strike, together with suitable mechanism for imparting motion to the sliding and twisting piece, a locking-bar which has projections which engage with suitable portions of one of the sliding bars, and a bell-crank by which the other sliding piece rcciprocates the lockingbar, substantially as described.

8. In an apparatus for producing two or more independent and consecutive motions, the combination of a sliding and twisting piece, a supporting piece having inclined guideways, two or more sliding pieces which have certain rigid parts with which projections on the sliding and twisting piece engage at predetermined points in its travel, a movable switch connected to one of said sliding pieces, and a telltale device connected to the other of said sliding pieces, together with suitable mechanism for imparting motion tosaid sliding and twisting piece, sub stantially as described.

9. In an apparatus for producing two or the second sliding piece, together with suitable mechanism for imparting motion to the first-named sliding and twisting piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix iny-signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK PATTERSON ABERCROMBIE.

Vitnesses:

CHAS. M. CLEMENT. W. A. Bnosxoos. 

